11/06/2010

C64: Maniac Mansion (1987)

Who is feeling a little adventurous today? Let us all take a closer look at one of the most popular game genres back in the days: Point-and-click adventures!


Maniac Mansion


Well, Maniac Mansion was not exactly the starter of this entertaining genre, Mystery House or Labyrinth came out way before. However, it represents the breakthrough and made these brainteasers popular among millions of gamers.


So what exactly made games like Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island or Zak McKracken so interesting and long-lasting? In my opinion, besides a good story, the interactive gameplay and controls. As you can see in the picture below, the player could choose from a number of actions and combine it with objects and other characters. 


... the story

Two decades ago, a large Meteor hit the garden of family Edison and left a large crater. Since then, Dr. Fred, Nurse Edna and their son "Weird Ed" have become even more reclusive and strange. Patients disappear without traces. After a local teenager has been kidnapped, her boyfriend and six other friends decide to bring her back. You start your adventurous journey in front of an old, creepy mansion.



... the gameplay

As mentioned above, Maniac Mansion has a very rich story and even multiple endings. You decide your way before you even begin to play by picking the characters you want to play with. Each one has different abilities and can be useful in one or another way. It is of course possible that your characters die, which results in a game over. Mentionable is the numerous amount of red herrings and inside jokes, that always keep the game exciting. The puzzles can be quite a thrill too.


Now start playing today... but let me give you a quick warning before you begin: Do not microwave the hamster. I warned you! ;-)

41 comments:

  1. The video was in German, But the SS was in English. dunno, just felt I would point that out lol.

    Sounds like a cool game. I've always liked point and click / strategy-adventure games (not real strategy, just fun strategy).
    >MFW - Game came out before I was born

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  2. Anonymous6/11/10 10:25

    great post & really awesome blog :)

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  3. Wow looks awesome, I think i'll check it out.

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  4. Never played this game

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  5. Looks funny for the time it's from :P

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  6. Oh my .. i played that game when i was a youth..thx for memories of old days

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  7. C64 is the best. first thing i learned to use, love that thing like it's my baby. keep the C64 games comin!

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  8. I played it too ! was great.

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  9. Looks like my kind of game mate!

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  10. nostalgiad again..ur doing good man

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  11. Never played this one, but I remember playing Day of the Tentacle a lot. Loved that game

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  12. sound effects kill my ears xD

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  13. Its like one of those Goosebumps novels where you get to choose your way through! I like.

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  14. Anonymous6/11/10 14:17

    C64...now thats kickin it oldschool lol

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  15. this looks like a great old-school game

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  16. that looks like a really fun game

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  17. wow, that gives me something to think about

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  18. cool, can't wait for an update

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  19. goos history.. is what is lacking in new games
    they're all like "HURR DURR I HAZ GRAPHICZ"

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  20. amazing nostalgia that got into me by reading this

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  21. God I remember playing these games on the Tandy. This reminds me of Hugo's House of Horrors.

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  22. Microwave a hamster? Well, certainly did not expect something like that.

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  23. ill check it out, looks like a cool game bro

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  24. This was a classic...I remember playing it on NES and PC...PC was waaay better. :P

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  25. this is one of your better posts imo!

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  26. wow actually sounds cool.

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  27. can u get a emulator to play this?

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